How to stop my cat's food aggression and destructive behavior?

It sounds like Cali is exhibiting signs of stress in her home environment. There are many things that you can do to help alleviate stress and help her feel better. I would advise seeing your veterinarian to rule out any medical causes for her behaviour first, and also make sure her environmental needs are being met. Cats need at least one litterbox per cat plus one extra to help reduce stress associated with the litterbox. They should be placed in separate rooms, away from the food and water bowls, must be scooped at least daily (preferably multiple times a day)and washed out at least weekly with a mild soap, followed by thorough rinsing. Cats need a lot of space to explore, but keeping them indoors is much safer than letting them outside, due to the risk of injury from cars, wildlife, other animals, etc. The key is providing space (particularly vertical space for clinimbg, such as cat trees, ledges, and the like) inside the home. Visit http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=T&C=33&S=2 and https://indoorpet.osu.edu// for tips on stress reduction. Also look into Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that is available in a diffuser and spray form that promotes calm feelings in cats http://www.feliway.com.

Sudden aggression and behavioral changes in cats can indicate pain or illness, so if you haven't already, a veterinary check up is best. If your cat checks out healthy, it may be there is a lot of stress causing your cat's behavioral issues. Making sure she has her own access to food, water, toys, treats, hiding spots etc from other pets or people is best. She is also still very young, and may just have a lot of energy/is still learning what appropriate behavior is. Ignoring bad behavior, increasing play and activity times, and rewarding calm, quiet behavior is best to teach her the right way to interact and to get out that excess energy. If the behavior continues even with this, speaking with a veterinary behaviorist is the best next step.

It's hard to know why pets develop certain behaviors. It's possible he thinks this is some sort of game. Try to identify any type of a pattern so you can predict what is going to do. You may certainly try distracting him as soon as you notice the rough behavior. Try to direct him to play in a different fashion. It's possible he is bored and so is inventing his own games. Try meeting his instinctual needs and providing some new stimulation. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play (really get him moving) and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. Try feeding him out of a food puzzle. Hide food for him to find. Provide a stand or resting place by a window so he can look outside. You may also try clicker training him for positive behavior. Here is a link about training cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/can-i-train-my-cat/ Most cats response best to combination therapy. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with bad behaviors. He should also be neutered because the testosterone can make pets more aggressive. Feeding meat will not cause aggression. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

The first thing I would suggest is to have Cleo checked out by your veterinarian. Certain medical conditions including hyperthyroidism can cause aggression of this nature. If a medical cause is ruled out and this is a behavioral issue, you can try to use a Feliway diffuser or collar to help keep Cleo calm when she is around you. You may also want to consider consulting with a veterinary behaviorist. You can find one in your area on www.dacvb.org

Uh-oh, naughty Cassie! This is tricky. In general, when we're trying to shape our pets' behavior, of course we want to reward behaviors we like and either ignore, punish, or redirect behaviors we don't like. We want our pets to learn that "good" behavior gets rewarded, and "bad" behavior does not. The tricky part here is that Cassie has started misbehaving - but every time she succeeds in stealing food, or playing with something she shouldn't, if it's a good experience for her, she is essentially "rewarding" herself. We need to stop her ability to reward herself - and I'll be honest with you, it's challenging! My advise is that Cassie not be unsupervised around *anything* that she might get into, until these behaviors stop. This is easier said than done! But, again, every time she does these behaviors and has a great time doing them, she is solidifying the behavior. We cannot punish animals after the fact - we have to respond to them in that moment or they do not make the association. So, she cannot be allowed to get into real food without someone there to intervene. Again, I realize this is not easy advice - but unfortunately behavior issues generally require time, energy, diligence, and patience to correct. So, if you have a room in the house where there is nothing Cassie can get into, I would place her there when you are not home or are unable to watch her. Otherwise, make sure she is in the same room as you so you can catch her "in the act" when she is getting into something she shouldn't. You could also invest in a large cat playpen such as this one: https://www.chewy.com/midwest-collapsible-cat-playpen/dp/45740?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=MidWest&utm_term=&gclid=CKHwxcaC9dQCFQONaQodFwwFog&gclsrc=aw.ds ...where Cassie can spend her time unsupervised (overnight, etc). Make sure to place safe toys, cat treats, etc where she is confined so she still has things to do. She can then "earn" more unsupervised freedom around the house as you work on these behaviors. If you're still running into trouble, I would recommend chatting with your vet. They will likely have recommendations for trainers or behaviorists in your area who could consult with you. I know this is not an easy fix - but I hope it helps!

I hate to hear that about CC. Some cats are bullies and will bully certain humans or other cats. You have a few options. Your best option would be to work with a cat behaviorist. This individual will often come to your house and watch interactions and then teach you how to modify the behavior. Another option is to pick up a few books about cat behavior and start reading. This is not an uncommon issue and you can often find very helpful ways to modify the behavior and also learn how to read cat body language. Lastly, you can provide environmental enrichment in the form of tall climbing areas like a cat tree or mounted shelves. This helps many cats to satisfy a natural instinct. You can also try feeding a special prescription diet made by Royal Canin called Calm. It affects the serotonin levels in the brain. Make sure CC gets 30 minutes of vigorous exercise a day as this will help to make him more tired and less reactive. Your veterinarian may also be able to provide medication to help calm him more but this is unlikely to help by itself. Lastly, you can carry a squirt bottle with you and spray him with water when he exhibits the bad behavior. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Sometimes this behavior can be related to boredom, anxiety or a desire to play roughly. There are a few things you can do which may help. Try enriching his environment. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. During the play time, if he seems like he wants to play rough, try to encourage him to wrestle with a stuffed animal. You may also try feeding him from a food puzzle and/or hiding food around the house for him to find. Most cats response best to combination therapy. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with behavior. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.